Why visit Jal
Townapedia lists 10 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 7 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Jal Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 96°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Jal
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Jal
Jal () is a small city located in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. It is New Mexico's south-easternmost city, and shares a border with Texas to the east and south. The population was estimated to be 2,069 in 2023. Jal is historically important in the natural gas industry, from the early 1900s to the present day.
From the Wikipedia article Jal, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Jal Schools Softball and Little League Fields
Park · 1.0 mi
South 5th Street, Jal
Restaurants and cafes3
D-Bar Cafe
Diner · American · 0.4 mi
204 E Kansas Ave, Jal
Mo-Sa 06:00-21:00
Where to stay7
Corporate Hospitality Housing - Jal
Motel and hotel
Corporate Hospitality Services (CHS) provides exceptional workforce lodging solutions for oilfield crews in Jal, New Mexico.
702 East Wyoming Avenue, Jal
24/7
Florez RV Park, LLC
Campground · 0.8 mi
817 West Wyoming Avenue, Jal
Hilltop Inn
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
517 East Kansas Avenue, Jal
Churches and places of worship3
Saint Cecilia Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.6 mi
501 South 5th Street, Jal
History
During the early 1900s, the Cowden boys of Midland, Texas moved the entire John A. Lynch herd to the Monument draw, about 6 miles northeast of present-day Jal. All the cattle were branded with the JAL brand from shoulder to hip. In the process of trying to rebrand the Cowdens, they found it too big a task so they registered the brand under their name in Silver City, New Mexico Territory.
In 1913, Charles Justis (a merchant) applied for a post office under the name "Jal" to open six miles east of the city of Jal. However, in 1916, Jal became drought-stricken and the store and post office were relocated to Muleshoe Wells and the city of Jal was established in its present location.
On November 1, 1927, Texas Co. brought in the first well, the Rhodes #1. Then on June 2, 1928, a second well, serving up more than 90 million cubic feet of gas a day, was brought online 6 miles west of Jal. This created a “boom town,” with all the prosperity and problems that go with it. The Great Depression and low crude prices caused a sharp slump in drilling and people left in droves. Jal almost became a ghost town overnight.
From the History section of Jal, New Mexico on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Jal
35 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 27°F | 0.4 in | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 65°F | 31°F | 0.4 in | 0.4 in |
| Mar | 72°F | 38°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 82°F | 46°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 89°F | 56°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 95°F | 65°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 68°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 95°F | 67°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 59°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 47°F | 1.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 68°F | 37°F | 0.3 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 60°F | 28°F | 0.6 in | 0.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Jal (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lea County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2014-10-29: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2006-01-02: Southeast New Mexico Fire Complex (Fire)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2000-05-10: Severe Fire Threats (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Winkler County Airport (INK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 23 miles away.
- Kermit 19 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Eunice 22 mi north, about 36 min by car
- Wink 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Monahans 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
- Monument 36 mi north, about 57 min by car
- Andrews 40 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Hobbs 43 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- West Odessa 45 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Odessa 52 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Town of Pecos 54 mi south, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.